去
qù
The English phrase 'go to' is translated into Chinese as 去 (qù).
Meaning: to move towards (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 去 means to go (away from the speaker), 来 is used to mean 'to come' (towards the speaker).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 去 is followed directly by the destination or the activity without a preposition like 'to'. Adding the particle 了 after 去 indicates that the action of going has been completed.
How do you pronounce it?
qù
Did you know?
- A more provocative theory suggests the character 去 originally represented a man with a hole in his crotch, symbolizing the act of 'getting rid of' something.
- The character 去 can be seen as a visual representation of a man departing from a cave or a city, depending on how you interpret its ancient components.
Examples in context
- 我想去学校。I want to go to school.This sentence shows how to use 去 to express wanting to go to a specific place.Tatoeba #2782523 by GlossaMatik, translation #2714993 by CK
- 我去上大学。I go to university.This sentence demonstrates using 去 to describe going to an institution.Tatoeba #3378097 by GlossaMatik, translation #3378098 by _undertoad
- 我想去商场。I'd like to go to the mall.This sentence illustrates the use of 去 when expressing a desire to go to a destination.Tatoeba #5556118 by verdastelo9604, translation #1936463 by CK
- 我明天要前往上海开会。 (Wǒ míngtiān yào qiánwǎng Shànghǎi kāihuì.)I will go to Shanghai for a meeting tomorrow.
- 请前往接待处办理入场手续。 (Qǐng qiánwǎng jiēdàichù bànlǐ rùchǎng shǒuxù.)Please go to the reception desk to complete the entrance procedures.
- 我们应该前去参观故宫博物院。 (Wǒmen yīnggāi qiánqù cānguān gùgōng bówùyuàn.)We should go to visit the Palace Museum.
- 他计划前去北京学习汉语。 (Tā jìhuà qiánqù Běijīng xuéxí Hànyǔ.)He plans to go to Beijing to study Chinese.
- 我去超市买东西。 (Wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi.)I'm going to the supermarket to buy things.
- 明天我们去看电影吧！(Míngtiān wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng ba!)Let's go watch a movie tomorrow!
- 我要上楼找我的朋友。 (Wǒ yào shànglóu zhǎo wǒ de péngyǒu.)I need to go upstairs to find my friend.
- 500 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding where to go for lunch.
- 浩然 Haoran我们去哪儿吃饭？Wǒmen qù nǎ'er chīfàn?Where shall we go to eat?
- 梓涵 Zihan我想去那家餐厅。Wǒ xiǎng qù nà jiā cāntīng.I want to go to that restaurant.
- 浩然 Haoran那里的菜很好吃。Nàlǐ de cài hěn hǎochī.The food there is delicious.
- 梓涵 Zihan好，那我们现在去吧。Hǎo, nà wǒmen xiànzài qù ba.Okay, let's go there now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 去, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
